Participated · Series D · Jun 2025

Neuron23 is developing NEU-411, a potent, selective, brain-penetrant oral inhibitor of the LRRK2 kinase pathway intended to treat LRRK2-driven Parkinson’s disease. The company is running the global Phase 2 NEULARK clinical trial that prospectively identifies patients with LRRK2-driven disease and randomized them to receive NEU-411 or placebo for a 52-week treatment period. NEULARK is among the first Parkinson’s trials to apply a precision medicine approach and uses Roche’s smartphone-based digital biomarker software to frequently monitor motor and non-motor symptoms. Neuron23 has identified single-nucleotide polymorphisms predicted to drive LRRK2 overactivity in up to 30% of people with idiopathic Parkinson’s disease and includes people with LRRK2 gene mutations in its target population. The company is expanding NEULARK into Israel with clinical sites in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and Haifa and recently screened its first patient there. Neuron23 has partnered with Sano Genetics to streamline referrals and offer saliva test kits to identify potential trial participants. The $2.5 million grant from The Michael J. Fox Foundation will support site activation and patient screening for the Israeli expansion.

Participated · Series A · Apr 2024

Neurosterix is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing allosteric modulators to treat underserved neurological disorders. The company launched with a $63 million Series A financing led by Perceptive Xontogeny Venture Fund II, with participation from Perceptive Life Sciences Fund and Acorn Bioventures. Neurosterix acquired Addex’s proprietary high‑throughput allosteric modulator drug discovery platform and a portfolio of preclinical neuroscience assets to accelerate its pipeline. Its lead program is a muscarinic acetylcholine receptor subtype 4 positive allosteric modulator (M4 PAM) for the treatment of patients with schizophrenia. The platform has a track record of identifying highly selective, brain‑penetrant small molecule drugs, which the company says can deliver improved efficacy and safety versus traditional drugs. Neurosterix plans to rapidly advance its pipeline toward transformational therapies, supported by founding investors including Perceptive Advisors and Acorn Bioventures and led by CEO Tim Dyer.

Participated · Equity · Aug 2023

CG Oncology is an oncolytic immunotherapy company focused on developing bladder-saving therapeutics for patients with urologic cancer and is based in Irvine, Calif. Its lead asset, cretostimogene grenadenorepvec, is an intravesically delivered oncolytic immunotherapy in a Phase 3 trial for BCG-unresponsive non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC). Cretostimogene grenadenorepvec is also in a Phase 2 study in combination with pembrolizumab for the same indication and is being evaluated with nivolumab in other bladder cancer types. The company reports that the asset has shown clear signals of activity as a single agent and in combination. CG Oncology says it aims to advance its clinical programs toward FDA approval, emphasizing potential to address resistance mechanisms to approved immunotherapies and improve outcomes for bladder cancer patients. The recently announced financing will support continued development and regulatory advancement of its lead programs. CG Oncology develops oncolytic immunotherapies focused on urologic cancers, with an emphasis on bladder‑sparing approaches. Its lead candidate, CG0070, is an intravesically delivered oncolytic agent in a Phase 3 BOND3 monotherapy trial for BCG‑unresponsive NMIBC and a fully enrolled Phase 2 CORE1 combination study with pembrolizumab. The company has a clinical collaboration with Merck/MSD to evaluate the CG0070‑pembrolizumab combination. Interim Phase 2 data presented at SITC 2022 showed strong anti‑tumor activity and tolerability for the combination. CG0070 has been administered to over 200 patients and has demonstrated potential best‑in‑class efficacy and safety in monotherapy and strong response rates with checkpoint inhibitors. CG Oncology plans to use the new proceeds to advance its lead bladder cancer programs toward FDA approval and to expand development into first‑line BCG‑naïve intermediate‑risk NMIBC. The company has secured more than $200 million in total funding to date following the Series E close. CG Oncology, based in Irvine, Calif., is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing next-generation oncolytic immunotherapies. Its lead candidate, CG0070, is a selective oncolytic immunotherapy that completed a Phase 2 trial for high-grade NMIBC after BCG failure. The company is advancing multiple late-stage programs including a global Phase 3 trial (BOND3) of CG0070 monotherapy and a Phase 2 combination trial (CORE1) with pembrolizumab in BCG-unresponsive NMIBC. A Phase 1b study (CORE2) is also ongoing combining CG0070 with nivolumab as a neoadjuvant therapy for MIBC in cisplatin-ineligible patients. Management says the lead monotherapy program is advancing to a BLA. The company recently closed financing to support these clinical development programs. Cold Genesys is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing oncolytic immunotherapies, with lead candidate CG0070 targeting non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC). CG0070 completed a Phase 2 single-arm, open-label, multicenter study (BOND2) and has demonstrated clinical safety and efficacy in over 100 patients to date for NMIBC. The company is also exploring CG0070 in combination with immune checkpoint modulators across different solid tumors and has a partnership with Merck to evaluate pembrolizumab (KEYTRUDA) plus CG0070 in a Phase 2 study. Cold Genesys recently closed a $22 million Series C preferred stock financing to accelerate its ongoing clinical programs and further advance CG0070. The round was led by ORI Healthcare Fund with participation from Perseverance Capital Management, reflecting investor confidence in the company's platform and leadership. The company is headquartered in Santa Ana, California. Cold Genesys is a clinical-stage immuno-oncology company focused on developing oncolytic immunotherapies, principally CG0070. CG0070 is an investigational oncolytic immunotherapy based on a modified common cold virus backbone that contains a cancer-specific promoter and a GM-CSF transgene and is designed to selectively replicate in tumors and elicit an immune response. The agent is intended to lyse tumor cells and induce immunogenic cell death, releasing tumor-derived antigens and GM-CSF to stimulate a systemic anti-tumor immune response. CG0070 is being evaluated in a pivotal Phase II single-arm, open-label BOND II study enrolling 122 high-risk non-muscle invasive bladder cancer patients who have failed BCG therapy and refused cystectomy. Cold Genesys plans to use financing proceeds to develop CG0070 in combination with immune checkpoint modulators across multiple Phase I/II studies for different solid tumor indications. The company acquired exclusive worldwide rights to CG0070 from BioSante Pharmaceuticals in 2010. The recent financing will support the pivotal trial and the company's combination-development programs.

Participated · Series C · May 2023

OnKure is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of precision medicines that target biologically validated drivers of cancer. The company uses a structure-based drug design platform to build tumor-agnostic candidates designed for optimal efficacy and tolerability. Its pipeline includes bocodepsin (OKI-179), an oral selective Class I HDAC inhibitor for hematological and solid tumors, and OKI-219, a selective PI3K alpha H1047R inhibitor. OnKure announced it closed a $54 million Series C financing to support continued development of its next-generation precision medicines. Proceeds will be used to advance OKI-219 into clinical development, and the company said it expects to file a second IND in 2023. The company is based in Boulder, Colorado. OnKure is a Boulder, CO–based biopharmaceutical company focused on epigenetics-driven drug discovery and development. Its core programs are targeted small molecule candidates intended to improve outcomes for cancer patients. The company aims to treat cancer by targeting malignant cells and circulating lymphocytes, altering the tumor microenvironment to optimize checkpoint inhibition, and delaying kinase inhibitor resistance. OnKure’s most advanced programs target Class-1 histone deacetylase (HDAC) enzymes as well as HDAC6. Led by co-founder, President & CEO Tony Piscopio, the company is advancing research and development across these programs. OnKure completed a financing to accelerate its R&D activities.

Participated · Series B · Mar 2023

Bicara Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing first-in-class bifunctional antibodies that combine tumor-targeting with tumor microenvironment modulation. Its lead candidate, BCA101, is a dual-action EGFR/TGF-β inhibitor in an open-label Phase 1/1b dose expansion being evaluated as monotherapy and in combination with pembrolizumab for frontline HPV-negative R/M HNSCC, advanced SqNSCLC, and cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma. Bicara presented positive interim clinical data at ASCO 2023 and ESMO 2023 demonstrating clinically meaningful anti-tumor activity and a tolerable safety profile in frontline HPV-negative R/M HNSCC. Additional data updates from the ongoing Phase 1/1b study, including in advanced SqNSCLC, are anticipated in 2024. Proceeds from the Series C financing will support continued advancement of BCA101. With the completion of the Series C, Bicara has raised $273 million in 2023. Bicara Therapeutics develops first-in-class bifunctional antibodies that combine targeted therapy precision with tumor modulators to deliver immunomodulatory payloads directly to the tumor microenvironment. Its lead asset, BCA101, is an EGFR / TGF-β-trap bifunctional antibody intended to inhibit EGFR and disable TGF-β at the tumor site to improve anti-tumor responses and the therapeutic window. BCA101 is currently enrolling patients in a Phase 1/1b study and the company has reported promising efficacy and safety data, with plans to present additional data at a medical conference in 2023. Bicara is also advancing IND-enabling studies for a second program, BCA356. The company says it intends to execute future clinical studies of BCA101 in the U.S. and Europe. Bicara is based in Cambridge, Mass.